An Undergraduate’s Journey in Creating Lab-Made Gemstones: Nanoscale to Macroscale Synthesis of Rubies and Sapphires
Résumé
We present an inquiry-based lab approach that
enabled undergraduate students to synthesize ruby and sapphire
gemstones not only as nanocrystals but also as macroscopic crystals
through assisted microwave combustion synthesis and a flux
growth method. This approach is highly involving for the students
and can be used as a support to easily train them on more
theoretical knowledge such as spectroscopy, light properties (e.g.,
light scattering), binary diagrams, etc. and connect them to
laboratory experiments. The trial-and-error process that led to the
final procedure was spread over a few years and showed how
involvement, imagination, and curiosity can remain high even in a
multiyear process involving different generations of students.